The Dickinson press., 1887-04-30


tors to Consilcr-Gra,n,nar and I,hcto-
ric-ne Fully Alive to the Events of the
Day.
We publish herewith letter which reached
our hands the other day from the other side
Of the American continent. Though ;,rra,-
entity not intended for tho public eye, we as
sure tile writer will allow lis to answer lii;
questions in his public manner.
"EDIroElAL DEPARTMENT.,
TUE Pu&Ti.AAD DAILY NEWS,
"PuHrLANn, Ore, Feb. III, lHSiI.
''DEAH S,H-Gou will confer Il great favor
on tho advancing civilization of Tho wild and
wooly west ly forwarding to me, il convc-
nicnt, copy of the rules of style i'll force III
The Suns composing roul:ls. The News dc
sircs to be abreast "f its eastern contcmpo-
raries i'll style, us ii is otherwise, and You can
see my object The Sun stylr is the lest in
the United States; in fact, The Sun is Il per-
feet model Of typographical eNecllcnce, and
it is the intention trnt;.l.c Tho News as ncar
as possible IL full i',&:sc(l, life sized photo
graph of the luminous eastern champion of
Democracy. Nrurs respectfully,
u. G. EGAN,
City Editor daily Ncws"
TIE FIRST POINT.
Wc should take grca: pleasure in doing all
that Mr.. E.an desires; but unfortunately there
is no surl code rs he wishes us to send for
ward. Tie principles which govern the style
OF writing and printing in Tho sun are, like
the common law, preserved hy authentic tra-
di;ion, hut nowhere inclosesl in the iron
formulas of umva.yi.;s prescriptions
Incur View of the subject, tho first point
i'll good style of writing is to lavr i'll tho
mind Il clear and distinct idea and then to
Pat il into language which presents it nrcu
latcly, vivi!ly and pietmresQucly, SO tha, tho
rea'lcl may amprchcnd ii iieN;.ctly as lhc writer
intends. Tll" great rule of all is ~, urary.
State the fn"' or the proposition precisely rs
il is, oc precisely rs it siioull be, and ncvvr
say tmcnty1hrrc or seventeen and IL half
when You ncan twenty.
Shuu s,lol!ishn~ss A mans q ,lan for ~
that is l!e scundcs; doctrine, liu; he is newer
more t'!an 4 :nau: aud no thinker OF writer
has any call 10 Leafrail of him, of lis clothes,
Of his title on of bis money. Er nn Amrri-
can always. democrat, Il Republican. No
literary siyl,' il GOOD foran Amer; 'an iournal-
i,t without this moral founiati"A
Never dis IL, more than osr proposition at
time; and licv,r attempt TO enforce NOR,
than one idea ut time. intellectual CON
fusion, heI!1o,s complication Of tliou2 2ht, is
the bare of good wri.mg.
Gl.AMaIAE AID RHETORIC.
Know the truths aud tho maxims of Eng
lish grammar and of English rhetoric
Know the language that you are dealing in
There is one effective way to gain sl.iil i,
these things, ant! that is 10 rrad tho Nl"a
masters, and if lossb.e, to practice writim.
uldcr criticism that is Intelligent and ,ncrci
less, us wei! as sSn.lm;h'ia aud viSil;ul
WHO "" tiiosc great Is, 10 you ask
There are many OF t!,ria. John Bunyai
is ono. SIR William Blacks: ,no another
Jennthan El"arls another, Lord Chesterfield
another, Dr.. ChanllEg another, Carolina
Newman another, Arthur Helps another
Matthew; Arnold another, Nathanicl Hnw
thol'no another. Thomas Jefferson another
We might make Il list of these masters
:tYle that would ill column.
Finally, be nlivo to III. cvritt.; Of the day j
you wish to possess II snp,l style us II new;
/ paper writer. Understand TIE vnluc of news
! What is ncws but the living record Of rrovi
dp,mr The daily tablet which Cod inlitcs fo
the instruction Of man. Even the trivial in
citlent of the hour has its place in til" might,
chapter Of human destiny. Treat il as yu,
may, then, pravely, satiri'ally, or joroscly
let there he ever in your heart IL profoun,
reverence for the monentplls power fron
Whose operation it proceeds.
These arc some principles of style whi'
occur TO us as we read ,lr. Egan's letter "
fancy they form pretty coed code of rules
/ but we put them forth without doGmatSn!
Nothing would give us E.oro pleasure than &